A group of restored World War Two aircraft touched down at Barnstable Municipal Airport recently. They’re part of the “Wings of Freedom” annual tour, and they offer an up close look at some of the historic bombers and fighters that helped to liberate Europe during the 1940s, and that still stir vivid memories today.
95-year old Cornelius Maher of Monument Beach slowly walked across the tarmac at a remote corner of Barnstable Municipal Airport and stared up at the restored B-17 bomber – just like the one he piloted during World War II.
“I can’t describe the thrill,” Maher said. “Every takeoff, you got the four throttles in one hand, and when you shove that thing and those engines take on and develops the power that moves you back in your seat, it was thrilling. And I still enjoy the memory of pushin’ those throttles and hearin’ those engines take life and roar.”
Visitors strolled beneath the massive fuselages with their gun ports and unique nose art, depicting everything from exotic women to bombs to Nazi swastikas. In addition to the B-17 Flying Fortress, the exhibit features a restored B-24 Liberator, a B-25 Mitchell bomber, and a P-51 Mustang fighter.
They were acquired and restored by the Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts. The “Wings of Freedom” tour stops at airports around the country for 11 months of the year.
These visits give veterans a chance to re-connect with their old planes, and before long, a small crowd gathered to listen as Cornelius Maher spoke about what flying in a B-17 was like for the crew.
“Each one had a seat, and he sat in it and minded his business. Two pilots and a navigator and a bombardier in the nose…”
Cape Cod resident Debbie Robinson listened nearby. Her father was a B-17 radio operator and gunner, and flew over 35 missions from 1943 to 1945. He passed away in 2005, but Robinson ended up becoming president of her dad’s World War Two bomb group association.
“They were gonna disband. And I said, ‘No, you’re too young!’ So I went in front of the whole membership – probably 2,000 – and Dad asked me ‘What are your intentions?’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s important not to forget.’ And it actually really made my Dad understand the importance of communicating to me,” said Robinson.
Robinson said many men from the Greatest Generation era find it hard to open up about what they went through during World War II.
“They never wanted to impact us with their war stories,” she said. “They feel that we didn’t care, that we wouldn’t be interested, that they would be wasting our time.”
But Robinson said she’s committed to keeping the stories of her father and others from fading away.
Shortly after 5 o'clock, event organizers waved the crowd back behind a rope line. Smoke sputtered from the propellers, and the four massive B-17 engines roared to life.
About 10 people climbed aboard for a 30-minute evening ride over Cape Cod. It isn’t cheap: $450 a pop. But that money, along with funds from admission fees and memorabilia sales, helps pay for the mechanics that travel with the exhibit to keep these huge, high-maintenance warplanes airworthy.
After several minutes, the Flying Fortress reappeared, barreling down the runway and into the evening sky. It’s no longer on a bombing run, but now has a new mission - to preserve a unique piece of wartime aviation history for future generations.
